I actually wrote the below for a brochure describing the FlourisHER hub that I am developing. As I was writing it I decided to turn it into a blog as well, as I feel it is an important message to share. As my experience I am sure could be or has been the same for many others.
My idea of the FlourisHER women’s wellbeing hub comes from my years of experience as a counsellor and my observations since the inception of Motherwell Cheshire, plus my own experience of a women in the business/ charity sector.
Before life in the charity/ counselling world I worked in retail management and later project management, I was young, ambitious and willing to learn, so I completely fitted into that world well, and very quickly climbed the ladder, and at the time was the youngest deputy store manager the company had, I loved my job and so thrived on how fast paced it was.
However things changed when in 2003 it was my first day of annual leave I fell ill, and ended up in hospital, later that day finding out that i had suffered an Ectopic Pregnancy. The nurses were very surprised how I hadn’t noticed what my body was going through. I explained that I was constantly tired anyway due to the amount of hours that I worked. I always remember the nurse saying that you must listen to your body and this is something that i always say now.
Why recovering from operation the opportunity for redundancy came up at my workplace and I decided to take take it. Why being off my life was “paused” and I reflected on what had just taken place. My body was telling me to slow down but the pace of the workplace was too fast paced to slow down. It also dawned on me that I could have been pregnant, that made me notice that I had never known any mum return from maternity leave to our company, which was extremely telling of how unaccommodating the company was for new mums and mums in general.
When I resigned I explained all my reasons to the company there answers was to offer me a pay rise, which to me missed my point. So I did resign and pursued a new career.
It does however always leave me feeling bitter – even now over 15 years ago. I really enjoyed my job, yet my lifestyle as a mum would not have fit in with the expectations of the company, yet I had so much to give, I was passionate and .dedicated and would have continued to be just that but wouldn’t have done all the hours, however i would have still done my contracted hours – wasn’t that enough?
Writing this has made me realise why I have been passionate about establishing a Wellbeing network for women in the work place. With the right support in place my experience could have been very different and I am sure I would have not resigned had I felt I was supported to return.
I hope our FlourisHER hub will help many women feel they are supported by the right people at the right time.
More about FlourisHER coming soon.